There’s a very specific stretch of the year when I’m not quite ready for chili and pot roast, but I’m also starting to lose interest in cold summer dinners. Late August is exactly that time.
Enter the patty melt.
It’s part burger, part grilled cheese and exactly the kind of dinner that feels a little cozier without pretending fall has come to town. For this version, I’m borrowing from French onion soup with deeply caramelized onions and plenty of melty cheese, then adding homemade tomato jam to take advantage of tomatoes while they’re still worth eating.
And if you’d rather let someone else work the griddle, Spartanburg has a couple worth trying.
Cribb’s Kitchen Downtown Spartanburg has a Double Patty Melt made with two Angus beef patties, smoked onions, Swiss cheese, house steak sauce, garlic aioli and bread-and-butter pickles on Texas toast.
Then there’s Chef Ae’s, where the Patty Melt takes a slightly different route with Angus beef, American cheese, caramelized onions and Sriracha aioli on sourdough. Both are good reminders that the basic patty melt is really just a starting point.
French Onion Patty Melts with Tomato Jam
Serves 4
For the tomato jam:
• 1 pound ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
For the onions:
• 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon Worcester-shire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
• Salt and black pepper
For the melts:
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef, preferably 80/20
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 slices sourdough or thick-cut rye bread
• 8 slices Gruyère or Swiss cheese
• 4 tablespoons softened butter
• Dijon mustard, optional
Directions:
1. Start with the tomato jam. Combine tomatoes, brown sugar, vinegar, salt and red pepper flakes in a saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 25 to 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick and jammy. Set aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and cook slowly for 25 to 30 minutes until deeply golden. Stir in Worcestershire and thyme during the last few minutes.
3. Divide beef into four thin patties slightly larger than your bread. Season generously with salt and pepper. Cook in a hot cast-iron skillet for about 3 minutes per side, or until cooked to your preferred doneness.
4. To assemble, spread tomato jam on four slices of bread and Dijon on the others, if using. Layer each with cheese, a beef patty, plenty of caramelized onions and another slice of cheese. Close the sandwiches and butter the outsides.
5. Cook over medium-low heat until the bread is deeply golden and crisp and the cheese has completely melted, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
A pile of crispy fries is the obvious side, but these are also great with sweet potato fries, kettle chips or a simple arugula salad with lemon vinaigrette to cut through all that buttery, cheesy goodness.
And once you have the basic method down, start playing with it. Go Southern with pimento cheese, bacon and pickled jalapeños; make a mushroom-Swiss melt with sautéed mushrooms and garlic aioli; or lean farther into fall with sharp white cheddar, caramelized onions and a thin layer of apple butter.
The patty melt may have old-school diner roots, but there’s no reason to leave it there. Make this one at home, then go see what Cribb’s and Chef Ae’s are doing with theirs. I’m firmly in favor of considering that research.
Have a recipe worth sharing? The Cook’s Corner welcomes submissions from home cooks, local residents, chefs, and restaurants throughout our community. Selected contributors may be contacted for a brief interview so we can share the story behind the dish. To submit a recipe or inquire about a collaboration, email thekitchencorrespondent87@gmail.com.
